Last Updated on October 8, 2020 by Paul Farrell, MRP, JD, PhD
Relationships Zone #6 – Self-help programs! Renewal as action meditation!
Meditation is one of the key operating principles of the Twelve-Step self-help programs. For example, their 11th Step reads:
“Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out.”
Self-Help Programs are Active Meditations
These self-help programs play a huge role in the lives of many people. Various estimates suggest that between one third and one half of all Americans are either directly or indirectly affected by the disease of chemical dependency, affecting all demographic, ethnic and economic groups equally.
So it should come as no surprise to find out that many corporate executives, Wall Street dealmakers, and successful professionals are already members of these Twelve-Step groups, protected by their commitment to anonymity. And as part of their recovery program I know many of these men and women not only meditate regularly, it is a big part of their lives.
Moreover, they often meditated collectively. Earlier, as a crisis consultant, I worked with hundreds of recovering individuals who went through The Betty Ford Center. These included executives, professionals, doctors, athletes, entertainers, celebrities and several members of royalty. I could see how they meditated during group sessions, by focusing on a particular topic, or saying prayers together.
About the Author
Dr. Farrell is a Behavioral Economist. His books include The Millionaire Code; The Millionaire Meditation: Stress Management for Wall Street, Corporate America & Entrepreneurs; The Zen Millionaire; The Winning Portfolio; Expert Investing on The Net; Mutual Funds on The Net; and The Lazy Person’s Guide to Investing.
He also published 1,643 columns on DowJones-MarketWatch and for years was their #1 traffic-generating columnist. Before the Internet, he edited & published FNX: Future News Index, a financial newsletter for stock market traders. Earlier he was a Wall Street investment banker with Morgan Stanley, Executive Vice President of the Financial News Network; and Associate Editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner.
He has a Doctorate in Psychology, Juris Doctor, Masters in Regional Planning and Bachelor of Architecture. He worked on the Esalen organic farm and served in the U.S. Marine Corps as Staff Sergeant in aviation computer technology.
